Vincent Van Gogh Cut Off His Ear
Many people today consider Vincent Van Gogh one of the most famous and influential figures in Western art history. The Dutch-born post-impressionist painter is responsible for some of the most beautiful pieces of artwork, including Starry Night over the Rhône and The Potato Eaters. So, a lot of people wonder: did he really cut off his ear? And if so, was it just some weird fashion or artistic statement? Let’s take a closer look.
In 1882, Van Gogh rented a house in Arles in the South of France. His friend and fellow painter, Gauguin, came to stay with him. However, Vincent became enraged and threatened his friend with a knife but then turned the weapon on himself, mutilating his ear lobe in the process. No, he didn’t slice his whole ear off — just the lobe. Even though that doesn’t make it any less weird, that’s just how it went down. He even painted himself in a picture called Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear to remember the event.